Home Page
Welcome to the Hunter Valley Model Marine Club Inc. Web site.
Radio control boats are fun and exciting to both run and watch. There are thrills and lots of spills that occur during a heat of racing (Check out our Photo Section). We race under the A.M.P.B.A. Oval Competition regulations. Typically the larger boats are doing speeds of up to 120kph, with the racing being conducted around an oval course of 250 metres.
The governing body in Australia is the Australian Model Power Boat Association (A.M.P.B.A.) and they establish the rules that the various clubs around Australia operate under.
Typically a model boat has two remotely controlled functions, throttle and steering. Some race boats also have a third function, for onboard mixture control or trim control. Some people use stick type remote control handsets, but most boaters in Oz use the wheel type of controller.
There are many different classes of racing, with the boats being defined by both engine capacity and hull configuration.
There are three basic types of hull configuration, these being :
| Mono Hulls | Tunnel Hulls | Hydroplanes |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
These three types of hull are placed in classes according to the capacity of the engine used. These classes are:
| Class | Engine | Ignition |
| A | up to 3.5cc | I.C. |
| B | 3.51cc to 7.5cc | I.C. |
| C | 7.51cc to 11cc | I.C. |
| X | 11.1cc to 30cc | I.C. |
| 16cc to 25cc Petrol | 16cc to 25cc | Spark Ignition |
| 35cc Open Petrol | 15.1cc to 35cc | Spark Ignition |
A normal oval heat race will have up to 6 competitors on the water at once, with the aim being to complete 5 laps in the fastest time.
Typically a race meeting will consist of up to six rounds, with the all rounds counting towards the competitors total score.
The boat hulls may be constructed of any material, however the usual materials are plywood, fiberglass or in some cases ABS.
Engines can be inboard, or
some classes use outboard type engines.